A FOOD manufacturer specialising in celebration cakes suitable for people with nut allergies is expanding and set to create 18 new jobs.

The Just Love Food Company has received support from the Welsh Government’s Economic Growth Fund.

The business was set up by Mike Woods after he discovered two of his three children suffered from severe nut allergies.

It was the first – and remains the only company in the UK – to supply the major supermarkets with celebration cakes suitable for people with nut allergies.

Then firm has now received £60,000 from the Welsh Government in the form of a grant which will enable the business – which began trading from the Oakdale Business Park, Blackwood in 2010 – to buy additional equipment to increase its capacity and capability. As well as creating additional jobs it will also safeguard the positions of 48 existing staff.

On a visit to the company, Economy Minister Edwina Hart said: “I’m delighted to hear of its success and how Welsh Government support is enabling the company to invest in new equipment and win new business. It’s also good to hear that an innovative Welsh company has stepped in to fill a gap in the market and is now selling its products throughout the UK, creating jobs and supporting the local economy.

“The Economic Growth Fund is playing a key role in helping companies throughout Wales to expand, take advantage of new business opportunities and create new jobs.”

The £120,000 investment in equipment will also ensure continuity of production should there be any potential breakdown or failure of equipment which is a requirement of major supermarkets before awarding significant contracts.

Mr Woods said: “This is a very important investment for us and will help take the business to the next level. We will shortly be supplying all four of the major supermarkets with our celebration cakes and had to ensure security of supply which we could not have done without support from the Economic Growth Fund.”

Mr Woods, who has 20 years experience in food manufacturing, also supplies nut-free birthday cakes to Pizza Hut for children’s parties and hopes to expand in the future to vinvclude nut-free party foods and other ranges.

He started the Just Love Food Company after a career with Avana Bakeries and Memory Lane Cakes.

The entrepreneur identified a gap in the UK market for the supply of nut-free bakery products and decided to use his experience of the food sector to establish the niche business.

In April of 2010 the Just Love Food Company received £150,000 funding using the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFG), secured by Natwest, to provide essential working capital to help set up the business.

It also received £250,000 debt and equity from Finance Wales to ensure the business had sufficient funds to pursue its growth strategy to branch out into different markets and product ranges, as well as business advice from Berry Smith Solicitors and Graham Paul Chartered Accountants.

To date, 96 businesses have received a total of £20.9m of funding which has directly created 974 jobs and safeguarded 1,332 jobs through the Welsh Government’s Economic Growth Fund.